Someone recently told me, “You seem happier now. Other people seem to
think so as well.” This raises some questions in my head. What was I
like before? Was I the cat’s drag or the cat’s meow or perhaps its
pajamas? I think I may wear my emotions on my sleeve. I may also wear
my emotions in a tie and vest combo, (it’s impossible for me to be sad
with a tie and vest on), my wallet (I become a cheapskate when I’m
sad—and by cheapskate I mean cheaper than I usually am), and by the
moisture in my hair (if I’m happy, I might just use gel). So which
hitherto unmentioned wearing of emotion has caused this shift in
opinion towards my happiness?
1) Two of my lovely friends (Libby and Janelle) are coming to visit me
in November
2) I bought a Kabero (Ethiopian drum)
3) I got my iPod to work (picture me trying to fight back the urge to
dance to Thriller whilst strolling casually through a crowded bus
station).
4) I have grown my first vegetable ever! Hooray cucumber. (In other
news the sheep have mounted one final counterattack on my garden.
Thank goodness for holidays. Hope they tasted as good as all the
vegetables that could have been.)
5) I was able to finally “authorize” some of the music I got off of
iTunes a long time ago and am now learning a Fionn Regan song on the
guitar.
6) I’m reading the Kor’an and a friend is teaching me some Arabic.
7) My compost pile is almost finished
8) I’ve set plans to climb Ras Dashen (the tallest mountain in
Ethiopia at a little more than 15K feet) in November
9) The winter cold is coming and with it a ton of Christmas songs to
learn on the guitar. “Let it snow” anyone?
10) I’ve started translating a basic computer course into Fidel.
የሜሰራች Note: If you do not have Fidel fonts set up on your computer
that reads Yemeserach and means glad tidings.
In other news, a personal record was set in length of Amharic
greeting. As a general accoutrement to greetings, one generally asks
the same questions repeatedly in rapid-fire Amharic. The conversation
went something like this:
Man: Selam Nesh? (Are you peaceful?)
Woman: Egzyabeher Yemesgen. (Thanks to God.)
Woman: Selam Neh? (Are you peaceful?)
Man: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
Man: Selam Nesh?
Woman: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
Woman: Selam Neh?
Man: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
Man: Endit Nesh? (How are you?)
Woman: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
Woman: Endit Neh? (How are you?)
Man: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
Man: Sera tiru now? (Is work good?)
Woman: Egzyabeher Yemesgen
Woman: Sera tiru now?
Man: Egzyabeher Yemesgen
**5 minutes of conversation later**
Man: Selam nesh?
Woman: Egzyabeher Yemesgen.
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